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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
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 Posted - December 28 2002 : 12:56:20 AM
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I'm really lookin' forward to this one, and thought some Mohicanlanders would be interested too. A film version of Charles Frazier's novel Cold Mountain is currently in production. Romania in Eastern Europe is filling in for North Carolina. Directed by Anthony Minghella, "The English Patient," Jude Law is Inman, and Nicole Kidman is Ada. Also involved in the film are Civil War experts Don Troiani as uniform authenticity consultant and Brian Pohanka. I loved the book, and Frazier's writing style, I was hooked from the first page. Hopefully they'll stick very close to the book for this film.
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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richfed
Sachem
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Posted - December 29 2002 : 09:44:08 AM
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| I'll be really looking forward to this one, as well - along with "The Passion" & "Gods & Generals"! It promises to be an excellent film, though Romania as North Carolina is something I'm going to have to look at closely! Not that I have much of an idea what Romania looks like ... |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
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Posted - December 29 2002 : 10:02:23 AM
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Thank you, CT-R, for the "heads-up" on both the movie and the book. I had not heard of that one, so immediately looked it up on the internet. It sounds like a book both my husband (who is the Civil War buff in the family) and I would enjoy reading! I hope to find it in our local library.
We are also looking forward to "Gods & Generals", with the hope that it will not be a disappointment... as some movie sequels can be.
Ciao! |
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
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Posted - December 30 2002 : 01:08:44 AM
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| Yes! I'm really looking forward to "God's and Generals" too! But it's gonna be so long. I'm not sure but if I remember what I read correctly, it's something like 5 hours long!? Back in my Civil War buff days Fredericksburg was my favorite battle to study. It was the most interesting to me, with the Union boys charging Marye's Heights in the bitter cold, and the northern lights above the battlefield at night. I visited the battlefield in the mid '90s as well as Chancellorsville, Wilderness, etc. all those in the area. I'm glad to see Jeff Daniels coming back as Chamberlain too. |
YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Ellie
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United Kingdom
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Posted - December 31 2002 : 06:50:06 AM
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| I loved Cold Mountain, I just cant see Nicole Kidman as Ada in it. She really irritates me and I just cant bear to watch her on screen. Why exactly couldnt they film it in North Carolina? I guess it must be cheaper to film in Romania but still a shame, living in England the only chance I get to see the beautiful North American landscapes is in films. |
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CT•Ranger
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Posted - December 31 2002 : 1:59:25 PM
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According to one online article, "In a story in which nature and weather play an integral part, the filmmakers have chosen to combine locations in the United States with the remote mountains and valleys of Transylvania, Romania, to recreate a primitive and unforgiving landscape."
As for Nicole Kidman as Ada, I think she'll do an ok job. Hopefully she won't be blond, I didn't picture Ada as being blond.
Also Renee Zellweger is Ruby. The cast also includes Donald Sutherland as Monroe, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Brendan Gleeson, and Jena Malone among others.
I found an article at: http://www.timesfreepress.com/2002/jul/27jul02/coldcoldmmountain.html about "shaped note singing" used for the soundtrack of the film. I think "shaped note singing" will add a beautiful haunting period feel to the film, I can't wait to here it!
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - December 31 2002 : 4:16:55 PM
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Now I thought I knew quite a lot about music, but I have never heard of "shaped note singing"! I am going to have to find out all about that. Thanks!
Ciao! |
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daire
Colonial Settler
USA
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Posted - January 06 2003 : 10:27:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Wilderness Woman
We are also looking forward to "Gods & Generals", with the hope that it will not be a disappointment... as some movie sequels can be.
Actually, it's a prequel...  But I know what you mean. Star Wars 1&2, Harry Potter (not a dissapointment, but not as good as the 1st), Highlander, Mummy Returns...
CTRanger...the movie release is 3.5 hours, but the director's edition will be about 5 hrs and 25 mins. http://gandgfilm.tripod.com/gods/movie.html
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daire
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
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Posted - January 06 2003 : 11:16:08 PM
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| thanks for the link daire, it's a good website with a lot of info on the movie. I'm looking forward to see what they do with CGI in the film, and hoping they don't have so many of those awfully fake beards they had in Gettysburg. |
YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - January 07 2003 : 1:10:26 PM
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| Ditto: Thanks for the link! I'm going to take some time later tonight and look around there. In the meantime, I have been racking my feeble old brain, and I just Can't figure it out! What... is... CGI...? |
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daire
Colonial Settler
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Posted - January 07 2003 : 3:22:01 PM
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You're both welcome, just happened to come across it while looking at imdb.com.
CGI is Computer Generated Imagery...where they put in elements of a movie with a computer coupled with the "live action" already filmed - special effects computer style. Think a lot of Star Wars Eps 1 & 2 (like the Genosian coloseum in 2). Tron was the first movie to use CGI to a great extent.
Not to be confused with the .cgi scripts (Common Gateway Interface) you find on the internet at various forums/bulletin boards.
Hope that helps!  |
daire
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - January 07 2003 : 10:19:09 PM
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Oh, Duh! I knew I was going to feel ashamed for asking that! <grin>
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daire
Colonial Settler
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Posted - January 08 2003 : 6:54:54 PM
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| Pfft. I've asked some real "duh!" questions. (Another great example of CGI is Gollum in Lord of the Rings...what you see is mainly CGI, although they did have the actor in a plain suit to give the other actors a focal point.) |
daire
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
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Posted - February 12 2003 : 11:56:34 AM
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For those of you interested there's a new promo pic out for Cold Mountain showing Inman (Jude Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman).
Also for you Western fans, Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner are teaming up for a new western titled Open Range It's about a group of open range cowboys who end up in a shooting war with a big business closed range cattleman. Here are some pics:
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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sidony
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Posted - February 15 2003 : 9:38:17 PM
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| Ellie, I thought I was the only person who finds Nicole Kidman irritating! Plus I think she's way overated too, and I'm Australian!:) |
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Theresa
Bumppo's Tavern Proprietress
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 Posted - February 16 2003 : 5:44:45 PM
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I have no opinion one way or the other on Nicole Kidman. I know that she's friends with DD-L and has stated recently that she would love to do a film with him. Looks to me like she might have a method to get this accomplished! 
Whadya think?
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sidony
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Posted - March 03 2003 : 7:53:43 PM
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| If Nicole Kidman can get Daniel to star in another movie, I could force myself to sit through 2 hours of watching her in it!:) I wish she'd get her hands off him though. He's mine, and Rebecca Miller's!:) |
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
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Posted - May 21 2003 : 5:05:10 PM
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Found this at Don Troiani's website http://www.historicalartprints.com
"Forthcoming feature film --COLD MOUNTAIN
Don was the "Civil War Uniform and Equipment Consultant" on the forthcoming 100 million dollar epic Civil War film "Cold Mountain" starring Nicole Kidman,Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Renee Zellweger and Donald Sutherland to be released at Christmas 2003.
The production is based on the best selling novel by Charles Frazier. The producer is the renowned Anthony Minghella whose extensive film making credits include "The English Patient" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Considering the vast time, effort, and talent going into this project it should create a tremendous level of interest in the Civil War among the general public.The HUGE battle scenes filmed with thousands of extras (probably multiplied digitally afterwards) in Romania will be particularly impressive.The buzz in the entertainment industry is already hinting at a possible contender for best picture Oscar of 2003.
Noted Civil War experts Brian Pohanka , Michael Kraus and John Bert were also involved as consultants and advised during location filming in Europe. Some scenes are being filmed in this country during the fall and winter. William L. Brown III was also advisor on civilian lifestyles.
We'll have some stories about "adventures in consulting" and what to expect regarding the film's fidelity to history as we approach the release date.
1st Report from Don:
I have now seen some photos of the Union and Confederate infantry taken on set and have to say they looked very very good in general. Mostly all young and thin (Romanian Army conscripts) and the uniforms were surprisingly well done. The battleflags in particular were outstanding and even little details like the Union colorbearer's chevrons were proper. While of course there are some very minor problem things (this is a movie of course!) here and there, I would have to say I have never seen anything better in a Civil War film yet. In fact it may set the standard for quite a while.
In one scene involving a Confederate band, Civil War musician/ historian Mark Elrod flew to Romania with some of his superb original over-the-shoulder horns to use in the film. While there Mr. Elrod also instructed the band on how to properly play the period songs.
2nd Report 3/03
I have recently seen photos of the movie sets of the Petersburg battlefield and have to say they are unbelieveable! Dante Ferretti (set designer for "Gangs of New York") did a bang of job and it looks like all the period photos of Petersburg come alive. There is a massive complex of trenches, redoubts, bombproofs, abbatis, which seems to stretch for miles. The only flaw I could spot was the use of heavy fortification size guns instead of the correct field guns.
For those that have asked, I had no involvement in the civilian costume or aspects of the film except in a few intances where they needed advice on various things.
The April issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine has several stills from the film including a nice one of Jude Law in a McDowell style cap wearing the 1861 North Carolina regulation infantry sack coat. Note the typical narrow leather belt with plain iron roller buckle."
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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richfed
Sachem
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Posted - May 22 2003 : 06:18:11 AM
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| DANG, CT! Yet another DVD I'm going to have to buy! Sounds excellent. |
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CT•Ranger
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Posted - August 03 2003 : 5:19:59 PM
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Someone who supposedly went to a screening of the film wrote this at Ain't it Cool news. This was not the final version.
"Cold Mountain A romantic Civil War drama starring Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renee Zellweger, Natalie Portman, Donald Sutherland, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The Good: Nicole Kidman was fantastic and not to mention stunningly beautiful. Her character went from pampered Southern Bell, to frightened shut-in, to a hardened farmer with dirt under her nails, skinning sheep and shooting wild turkey. Fabulous, Oscar-worthy performance.
Renee Zellweger's entrance was outstanding and a breath of fresh air. Her tough-as-nails farmer girl provided some much needed comic relief and lightened the mood considerably. Another Oscar-worthy performance.
Jude Law was fine but a bit too hard for me. His performance reminded me of Ralph Fiennes in “The English Patient.” The acting was good but I just didn’t love the guy.
The entire story hinged upon the love of Nicole and Jude and it was a bit much to swallow. I believed they were in love, but when Jude went off to war they barley spoke 10 words to each other and had one passionate kiss. Is that memory enough to keep you alive on a journey through hell and back? And when I say hell I mean it HELL… Jude Law was shot, beaten, dragged, rained on, hunted, you name it and it happened to the poor guy. I just wish there was more romance in the beginning.
The Bad: A bit overlong coming in a just over 3 hours. And Philip Seymour’s brief role was so over-the-top and out-of-place. His awful slapstick comedy should be edited way down before the final release. I see the need for comic relief in such a weighty drama, but Renee provides enough, in the right tone, for the entire film. And Ray Winstone and Charlie Hunnam played the “bad guys” who hunt army deserters and had little motivation for their awful behavior. These two characters need to be fleshed-out further. They were interesting but I just didn’t buy it.
The Ugly: This movie is brutal, violent and unforgiving. This is a side of the Civil War no one has seen on the screen before. Many scenes reminded me of Platoon when they raided the village and murdered the innocent civilians. Definitely Rated R.
Major Spoiler Below...
The most outstanding scene was in the beginning just after the Union army blew a monstrous hole in the Confederate trench lines. All the Union soldiers rose-up and charged through the falling dirt and debris only to run smack into a huge crater wall. Thousands of soldiers were trapped and began piling up like Holocaust victims in a gas chamber gasping for air. The camera craned overhead and the remaining Confederates appear over the wall’s edge and began to slaughter the desperate soldiers. The Union army was massacred in a scene that puts Saving Private Ryan’s Normandy invasion to shame. Absolutely gut-wrenching!"
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YMHS,
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Thomas Thacher
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Pen
Colonial Settler
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Posted - August 06 2003 : 3:26:44 PM
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Hey, All,
After reading the buzz on the board, I bought a (used) hardback copy of 'Cold Mountain' today. Should I start reading now, or wait until the film comes out and read it afterwards? I don't wanna disappoint myself...
Pen
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Theresa
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Posted - August 06 2003 : 4:59:31 PM
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| Hey Pen! I think I would go ahead and read it. But be warned...there are no quotation marks, which drove me NUTS!! I probably won't re-read it. |
Theresa |
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CT•Ranger
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Posted - August 06 2003 : 5:58:28 PM
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Either way you're likely to be disappointed. Since the film is almost never as good as the book, in my opinion. It's been three years since I read the book, so I probably won't be too distracted by all the differences. I've already been somewhat disappointed because I don't think Nicole Kidman fits the Ada of the book. But I'm looking forward to the film anyway.
If anyone is interested in behind the scenes pics of the set and cast & crew pics check out the tons of pics at the yahoo group for the film. You have to join to see the pics, but it's really easy, especially if you already have a yahoo email account. It's worth it, you can't find most of these pics anywhere else.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coldmountain_themovie/
Here are some examples:
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Jude Law as Inman
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C.M. Landscape- Romania (A bit different than N.C.)
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YMHS,
Connecticut•Ranger
Thomas Thacher
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Pen
Colonial Settler
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Posted - August 06 2003 : 8:37:53 PM
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Well, let's see if I can do this again...forgot to log on the first time. It's been one of *those* weeks, you know? *SIGH*
Thanks for the warning, Theresa! I'll start reading tonight.
CT Ranger, thanks for the pics. Can't say I'm a fan of any of the film's principals, but I think I'll watch just for the scenery. NC it ain't, but it looks great anyway.
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CT•Ranger
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Posted - September 21 2003 : 8:02:18 PM
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Union troops caught in the crater at Petersburg
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Inman making his way through a swamp
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Inman and Ada
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Black Cove
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YMHS,
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Thomas Thacher
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CT•Ranger
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Posted - October 13 2003 : 3:09:44 PM
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The trailer for this film can now be seen at http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/coldmountain.html
So what do you guys think? The consensus on another board is that the trailer is incredibly boring(but I think they were probably looking for fast paced action packed crap). I happen to disagree with those folks. I think it will be an interesting movie, but am afraid Minghella has taken too many liberties, and may have strayed too far from the book. For example, one detail they got wrong, which has really bugged me so far, is Ada's hair color. Ada was not blond in the book, she is described as having dark hair. Trying to picture Ada, one of the most important characters, as a blond, just doesn't work. If Kidman could change her appearance for "The Hours," why couldn't she do the same for this? To me, getting the visual details right is more important than any other detail, since movies are primarily visual communication. Anyway, just some thoughts.
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YMHS,
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Thomas Thacher
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Cold Mountain
